We are expecting a little one in march next year (2010) but already we are concerned with insurances ...
So i have some questions, hopefully someone can guide me in the right direction or answer them ...
1. Will a basic health insurance for a baby cover all of its post natal checkups? As a parent, do we need to pay anything? Im not familiar with the lingo and feel quite overwhelmed, therefore these questions
2. Do we get to choose the pediatrician for the baby?
3. Would you recommend the GP, Telmed, or HMO insurances?
Thanks a lot for keeping this forum, lots of information we needed to know.
As you can probably imagine this is a subject that crops up regularly among expats and there are already many many threads with lots of valuable information.
Have a look through the search function and you will definitely find what you are looking for.
I'm going through the same deal myself right now actually...
I've found out that the basic insurance (Grundversicherung) I receive covers: 7 Check-up visits to doctor or midwife prior to birth Birthing classes if given by a midwife If in hospital it must be on the registered list of allowed hospitals to be covered If you give birth at home the midwife is covered for 10 visits 3 Breast feeding consulations 1 week of post natal checkups (Wochenbett) Travel costs for your midwife to come to you on D-Day Ambulance costs if required on the day within your Kanton a check up of baby 6-10 weeks after birth I got that roughly translated from this site: http://www.swissmom.ch/index.htm?anz...RUNG~mainFrame I get the impression that's a common basic coverage for all insurers, but I'd get that double checked according to your insurer. Also that is only in case of a normal, problem-free pregnancy+birth. If you have complications, you need extra coverage.
I initially went to a doctor and she wanted to do a full on check every 4 weeks with ultra sound, bloods, weight, urine etc. I recently found a midwife based in Wohlen who could do the whole deal but less medically invasive every 6 weeks. She would also do a homebirth/hospital birth working how *you* want to do it. No doubt there are similar midwives in your area. Many speak English too.
Key words when searching are: Hebamme (midwife) and your location or nearest main town. "Englisch" might be helpful too if you'd like it.
I hope this helps I'd definitely go directly to a good midwife with a practice of her/his own... They can do all what the doctor does and I find the midwife more willing to impart handy and reassuring tips along the way. It also builds up a stronger relationship for the big day, since it will be her that helps deliver your little one for you. Having a doctor from a hospital is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get!
1. Kids have no deductible (unless you choose CHF 300 to make your premium cheaper), so you will pay 10% of the post natal checkups. Some things insurance will only pay if you have extra insurance such as top or preventative. This meant that the CHF 500 allergy testing for my son was thankfully covered. Gymnastic therapy and kinderturnen classes are also covered.
You should apply for insurance before the birth if you want these extra insurances, because if your baby is ill or early they may deny you or charge you more.
2. After leaving the hospital, you choose your pediatrician and visit them for the first time when the baby is 1 month old. I found many were not taking new patients and I needed to call a few.
3. Perhaps the pediatrician you choose is in a HMO practice, then it certainly makes sense to go for this cheaper model. You are then however stuck with using only HMO medical centers. I usually go to one for my GP and it can get very busy.
The Telmed model means calling a hotline and explaining your symptoms before seeing a doctor. My son's pediatrician also asks me for all the info and tries to see if you can be helped over the phone before coming in - so that would be two phone calls and explaining everything.
Also, the midwife visits etc are under franchise so you will pay a contribution to it unless your franchise is already paid for.
Other things that they cover is breast pump rental and some insurance have a birth allowance.
But, if I understood, you were asking for health insurance for the baby: you can pre-insure the baby so that insurance kicks in as soon as the baby is born. In my case (semi private insurance with birth in klinik) they asked me to also put baby in semi private so baby would be covered in klinik as well. Turned out to be a real smart choice for us as she ended up seeing lots of alternative therapists that were then covered.
Pre-birth insurance does not cost anything and saves you a lot of hassles if your baby has special needs at birth.
Pre birth complications are covered under mother's basic insurace too (I'm not sure about post birth?). Extra appoitments/ultrasounds/tests requested by your Dr are covered and are not included in your franchise.
This doesn't include surgery/hospital stays prior to the birth. These are included in the franchise.
Some of my tests and medicines still fall under my deductible, so I pay 10%. For example, blood pressure tablets were prescribed to stop pre-term labour were with deductible. Support tights were medically necessary too, and they were also with deductible. Very annoying when you think "pregnancy" is fully covered.
Best to get a low deductible if you are planning on having a baby or reduce your deductible for the year you will be giving birth in (for those pregnant now due 2010). That way if you need any operations not covered under pregnancy, for example a D&C to stop bleeding after your hospital stay is over is not covered under pregnancy. Having a low deductible means you will only pay 10% and not the full cost. A c-section that the insurance company decides wasn't necessary will also only cost you 10% and up to a maximum amount, and not your full CHF 2500 deductible.
And 1 thing which is not covered AT ALL: certificate to sign you off sick from work (10 CHF each) as apparently this is an adminsitrative act and not a medical one and so not covered.... VERY ANNOYING
Also pls remember that deductible is put to zero again at the beginning of the year so for a pregnancy spanning 2 yrs like this one, one is liable 2 times for it...
Definitely support the low deductible for women in the child birhting years
If you get them on prescription from your gynaecologist it is covered (or at least should be). You will have to pay for them if you just buy them over the counter.
Mine were given to me by my gynecologist and they weren't covered under the Grundversicherung. Perhaps you need extra insurance to cover these.
The doctor's note thing really sucks. At least this time I only paid for 3, the last one saying up until the estimated delivery date. I also needed to pay for one at 6 weeks to get out of my fitness classes (kickboxing).